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Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: March 2016


It's the first Wednesday of the month again!  You know what that means!  It's time to convene another meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group.  Our esteemed leader is the one and only Alex J. Cavanaugh.  His minion helpers for this month are Lauren Hennessy, Lisa Buie-Collard, Lidy, Christine Rains, and Mary Aalgaard.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website!

I didn't feel like sharing an insecurity this month.  Instead, I wanted to share a story that I think at least a few of you may find inspiring.  The incident in this story shaped me and the way I look at the world, even though the catalyst for that shift seems relatively small.

It must have been early 2010.  I was working in a plastic injection molding factory at the time, and I did a wide variety of things during my time there.  On the day in question, I was working on a line that assembled fancy storage drawers for washers and dryers.  The machine that produced the main part of the drawers was about the size of a semi, by the way.  It was a truly impressive, and loud, piece of machinery. Trust me on that.

Anyway, my job that night was to pop the front panel on to the drawer, and we were using painted front panels.  The front panels were made in the same factory, but we had to ship them out if they needed to be painted.  As such, I had no clue who else handled them while they were outside the factory where I worked, and it wasn't something I typically thought about.  However, when I picked up one panel in particular, something caught my eye. Curious, I stopped and studied it.  Someone involved in the painting process had drawn in red pen an elaborate, absolutely beautiful flower on the back side of it.

I was stunned.  The artistry was gorgeous, and I felt guilty that I had to pop it on to this plastic drawer where it would forever be hidden away.  The person who ultimately bought this drawer would have no idea about the gorgeous image hidden away inside it.  I spent all of fifteen seconds looking at it, but I spent the rest of that day at work thinking about it.  Who had drawn it?  Did they want to eventually turn art into a career, or was it simply a fun way to pass the time?  And looking around me, I started to wonder if there were hidden pieces of beauty around me that I'd never see.  

Six years later, I still think about that hidden flower.  Anyone who writes something or does any kind of art but laments the small size of their audience should consider this. You never know what kind of impact your work might have on one of the people that does see it.  The person who drew that flower will likely never know how that hidden drawing impacted me and the way I look at the world, but it did.  I'll continue to put my work out there, even though there are times when I feel frustrated and invisible.  I don't know if my writing will inspire anyone, but maybe it will.  Who knows?  That possibility motivates me every day.


16 comments:

  1. It is so often the little things that mean the most, L.G.

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  2. Will our art matter to someone? We may never know, but we all hope what happened with that flower happens to us.

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  3. That might have been the sole purpose of that flower.

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  4. That is perfectly lovely, and it was meant for you, whatever the reason that the artist drew it.

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  5. What an amazing story. And so true. All it takes is that one person seeing it. :)

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  6. That is a lovely story and a great way to think about sharing art/writing. Thanks for sharing! :)

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  7. That's a great story. Thanks for the inspiration. We never know how are words are going to affect others.

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  8. The artist had an impact, so I think s/he was a success.

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  9. It's true. Many people hide their talent away, perhaps because they don't know how to get it out there. That's why my husband pushed me out the door a few years ago--and I do mean pushed. I blame him when the buiz stresses me out. ;)

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  10. That is a great story. The small things you think might go unnoticed may be seen by someone down the line.

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  11. Wow! What a wonderful image to carry as an inspiration - and I love your thoughts on it. Thank you!

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  12. Wonderful story! Reminds me of the one about an artisan who was carving or painting something that would be high up in a cathedral, where the detail would never be seen by human eyes. Someone asked him, "Why do you take such care when no one will ever see it." He answered that God would see it. I agree with you wholeheartedly and think the principle applies whether or not you believe in a higher power.

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  13. How great that your discovery stayed with you all these years and shaped the way you think about your writing. (And thank goodness you didn't find a "Help me, I've been kidnapped!" message! lol)

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  14. What a beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it, and reminding me that there is a reason I spend hours every day shouting into what seems like an empty void. Because there's a change someone might hear me, and be inspired or entertained.

    smpace.com

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  15. Wow, really beautiful story, LG. Thanks for sharing it. I read it at just the right time.

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  16. Such a beautiful story, Laura! And so true!

    Thanks so much for the well wishes!

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